November 17-23: This Week in Black History

November 17: This Day in Black History

FEATURED: Howard Rollins 1834:Nancy Green was born. She was a storyteller, cook, activist & one of the 1st African American models hired to promote a corporate trademark ‘Aunt Jermima’. She passed in 1923, aged 89. 1895:Katie Crippen was born. She was an entertainer & singer. She formed a group ‘Katie Crippen & Her Kids’ that included Fats Waller & a teenaged Count Basie. She died of cancer at age 34. 1897:John Mercer Langston passed away, aged 67. He was an abolitionist, attorney, educator, activist & politician. 1904:William H. Hastie, Jr. was born. He was the 1st African American to serve as Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, as a Federal judge, and as a Federal appellate judge. He passed in 1976, aged 71. 1911:Omega Psi Phi fraternity was incorporated. 1932:Charles Chestnutt passed away, aged 74. He was an author, essayist, political activist, lawyer & Spingarn Medal recipient. In 1917, he protested and successfully shut down showings in Ohio of the controversial film Birth of a Nation, which the NAACP officially protested across the nation. 1945:Elvin Hayes turns 28 today. He is a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and an inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 1950:Actor Howard Rollins, Jr. was born. He passed away in 1996 of cancer at age 46. 1951:’Fool, Fool, Fool’ by the Clovers was the number one song this day. 1951:Carol Denise McNair was born. She died in the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing by the KKK. She was 11 years old. 1956:The Heartbeats’ “A Thousand Miles Away” charted (#53 pop, #5 R&B), and the Continental’s inspiring “Dear Lord” ($200) was released. 1958:Jackie Wilson’s supreme classic, “Lonely Teardrops,” charted R&B reaching #1 for seven weeks and #7 pop. 1958:The Chanters’ “Over the Rainbow” was issued. 1960:Happy Birthday to performer RuPaul 1964:Marvin Gaye, who was in England for TV performances, left to visit Dionne Warwick after hearing she had been in a car accident. 1967:Happy Birthday to New Edition member Ronnie DeVoe who turns 46 today. 1979:’Still’ by the Commodores hit number one on the charts. 1980: The annual “Royal Command Performance” in London featured Aretha Franklin and Sammy Davis Jr. singing for England’s Queen Elizabeth II. 1992:Award-winning writer, poet and civil rights activist Audre Lorde lost her battle with cancer. She was 58. 1996:Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, and Luther Vandross performed at Celebrate the Dream: 50 Years of Ebony Magazine at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium 1998:Janet Jackson, while on a South African tour, met President Nelson Mandela, and all twenty-nine of his grandchildren, at his home. 1998:Esther Rolle passed away, aged 78. She was an actress of stage, film & TV. 2003:Singer Arthur Conley passed away, aged 57 of cancer. 2003:A jury convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad of capital murder. 2006:Tony Award winning singer, actress & songwriter Ruth Brown passed away, aged 78. 2006:Actor & comedian Michael Richards openly, publicly and repeatedly insulted blacks at a comedy club in Los Angeles. 2012:R&B singer Billy Scott passed away, aged 70 of pancreatic cancer.

In February, Jeff Johnson talked about Black History Month coming to a close. He said it shouldn’t be celebrated just once a year but everyday or every week. He asked that we set aside at least one evening or one day a week to talk about black history and to keep it alive. We plan to honor his request with a gallery every week this month to celebrate significant events, timelines, births and to remember those who have passed away.